Accepted_test

Acetogenic prokaryotes with new energy conservation mechanisms
by Frolov E.N. | Gololobova A.V. | Elcheninov A.G. | Lebedinsky A.V. | Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation | Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation | Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation | Research Center of Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
Abstract ID: 303
Event: BGRS-abstracts
Sections: [Sym 8] Section “Microbial communities of natural and anthropogenic habitats”

Determining the minimum energy yield of a reaction sufficient for use by a cell (biological quantum of energy) is one of the most important problems of modern biology. The objects of the study are microorganisms living due to biochemical reactions that provide minimal energy output. Such microorganisms include acetogenic prokaryotes, formatotrophic hyperthermophilic archaea, and syntrophic microorganisms that carry out the oxidation of alcohols and fatty acids. Solving this problem will lead not only to understanding the boundaries of the distribution of life on Earth, but also to the discovery of new metabolic processes that allow living in conditions close to the thermodynamic limit. Solving this problem also has an important practical aspect due to the high biotechnological potential of acetogenic prokaryotes, which is due to their unique ability to synthesize de novo organic compounds from H2/CO2, CO or synthesis gas. The aim of this work is to study new metabolic processes affecting the value of biological quantum of energy in acetogenic bacteria and to investigate the distribution of the identified metabolic processes among prokaryotes. The first obligate chemolithoautotrophic acetogenic bacteria, Aceticella autotrophica and Acetitalea autotrophica, were isolated and characterized. For Ac. autotrophica 3443-3AcT, a new energy conservation mechanism was proposed - “facilitated” acetogenesis, in which the catabolic function of Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, is in part taken over by a NAD(P)H-dependent poltsilfide reductase. For At. autotrophica 3819-GS1T, a new mechanism of “glycine” acetogenesis was proposed. Analysis of genomic databases revealed a widespread distribution of novel energy conservation mechanisms among bacteria.